Doubletake
by Melli
Summary: CAUTION: MAJOR SPOILERS! A leisurely trip turns into a wild goose chase as Vash-tachi appears to have found an old friend...Kudasai R/R! *Last chapter uploaded!*
1. Author's Note

Author's Note: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! Now if you're anything like me, you're probably going to skip the author's note and scroll down to the story. That's why I've made the A/N the whole first chapter. You must read this before you start the story. This is because there are a few very important notes I need to make.  
First, this story contains MAJOR spoilers. If you haven't seen the last four episodes, then don't read. Unless, of course, you don't mind me ruining the big surprises. Mainly, these are Wolfwood spoilers and a little Knives, too. So don't blame me if you get pissed that I spoiled the ending! STOP NOW if you do not want spoilers, even in the author's note!  
Second, I need to explain a little something about Knives. After I saw the last episode, I was talking with my friend, a fellow Trigun addict, and we were arguing over what was up with Knives at the end. At first I thought he was dead, and Vash was bringing him home to the girls for dinner. (^_^) Maddy-chan argued that he's not dead, just stunned and Vash is taking him home to turn him around. Kinda like rehabilitation. So I had to agree with her, and in this fic, Knives has redeemed himself. Maybe it's not logical, but hey, look who you're talking to! And since he wasn't in any eps that much, I had to make up a lot of his personality. This is just my interpretation, so no one get mad at me. I tried to give him a mean streak (reminiscent of his formerly evil persona), and I hope I did a good job.  
Third, this story takes place a while after the last episode. Don't ask how long, it doesn't matter! For once, no one is chasing Vash, so the group is just kinda wandering. Meryl & Milly are still traveling w/Vash, just in case he gets into more trouble. But there's no mission or anything, 'cause Knives and Vash have made peace and all.  
Fourth, my previously mentioned fellow Trigun addict also bugged me about what the guys are wearing. Remember in the last minute Vash dropped his traditional red trench coat? So what's he wearing now? That little spandex number doesn't exactly look normal, and the same goes for Knives. So my answer is: it doesn't matter! I'll leave that up to your imagination. Hey, if you're really hentai, you can even picture them buck naked for the entire fic. And if you're really unimaginative, they're wearing outfits like the one Vash left Lina & Grandma in. (or as I call it, "The sexy outfit" ~_^)  
Fifth, names. Please don't make fun of me! I had to make up a bunch of names for towns and stuff. I started out using months as town names, but it got boring. So I tried something more original. Maybe they sound funny, but oh well. Deal! And those of you who read Mr. Bishounen might remember Emerald Star. That's my buddy Ani's alter ego, and she made up the name. So if you find that one funny, go ahead and send flames to her! ^_^  
Lastly, disclaimers. I OWN NOTHING! I obviously don't own any of the actual Trigun characters, and, like I said, Emerald is Ani's made-up alter ego. I don't even have Nate or the kids copyrighted! So you can't sue me! =P However, this story is an original of mine. It's ALL MINE! Nobody else contributed! (except for a few ideas from Nina-chan, Emmy-chan, Curly-chan, and Lee-chan) So if you want to reproduce this fic for any reason, please Email me first! I don't wanna be surfin' Trigun fansites and suddenly come upon my fanfiction! Of course, there is the chance that everybody will hate my story, and this is totally unnecessary 'cause no one will read past the first chapter...But I'm an optimist! ^_^  
All righty, I think that's about it. This story has a little bit of everything in it, including some real mush that I can't believe I wrote. I'm beginning to see a pattern in my writing. If you've read my Slayers fics, you'll know what I mean. Well, on with the story!  
  
Oh, by the way. Thanks to Ani for summarizing my story and for encouraging me to post as much as I have! She informs me that there are actually people who are waiting for my next fic! (hard to believe, but thanks for your support, Ani-chan! ^_^) I will post the rest as soon as Maddy comes through for me on that name!  



	2. Chapter One

Chapter 1  
Meryl, Milly, Vash, and Knives are waiting at the bus stop in January City. Milly is playing with Kuroneko-sama, Meryl is working on a report for work, and Knives and Vash are playing cards. They've been waiting for the bus to February City for over an hour.  
"Where is that damn bus?" Meryl cries, shoving her typewriter back into its case.  
Milly looks at the schedule in her hands and replies, "Well, it says here 6:30." She glances at her watch. "Now it's 7:45."  
"Let me see that!" Meryl grabs the paper out of her friend's grasp and uses her fingers to find the right line. "Milly, this says the bus to February City arrives at 8 o'clock! You were looking at the wrong one!"  
"Oops, sorry, Meryl. Guess I made a mistake."  
Meryl sweatdrops and turns to the unperturbed brothers.  
"Go fish." Vash reaches over to the stack of cards between them to take another card. When he sees it, his face lights up. He pairs it with the last card in his hand and sets it aside.  
"I win again! So what's the score now?" He counts on his fingers as Knives watches, turning red with anger. "Let's see, I won 93, and you won...Well, we tied twice...Play again?"  
"Argh, I give up!" Knives throws down his cards and goes to sit on the bench next to Milly. Vash looks at him innocently and begins to pick up the cards.  
Five minutes later, a few more people have gathered at the bus stop, anticipating the arrival of the bus.  
Speaking of which, the bus comes early.  
"All this time we thought it was late, and the damn bus is actually early!" Meryl complains.  
"At least we beat the crowds. Let's get on and find a seat before rush hour traffic shows up," Milly suggests.  
So they board the bus and find seats together in the back.  
Suddenly, said 'rush hour traffic' appears. A group of twenty or so men & women in suits with briefcases shove their ways through the turnstyles and toward the bus. One man in particular catches Vash's eye.  
"Huh? Hey! Look over there! It's Wolfwood!" He shakes Knives shoulder and points at the man.  
"Wolfwood? Who's Wolfwood? Oh, you mean that Gung-Ho Gun? I don't really remember him..."  
Vash gives up on his brother and turns to Milly, across the aisle.  
"Milly, come here! It's Wolfwood! Nicholas is out there!"  
"Hmm? What are you talking about? Mr. Vash, you of all people know that Mr. Wolfwood is dead."  
"I know, but he's outside right now!"  
Meryl has worked her way into the conversation. She glares at Vash and says, "That's not funny! You're trying to make a joke, right? Well it's not working. And have some respect for the dead."  
"No, but he's really out there! Come look!"  
Meryl sighs, but, in order to shut him up, she climbs over the brothers' knees to peer out the window. By this time, the crowd is gone.  
"There's no one out there at all, let alone our deceased friend! You must be hallucinating."  
"You know, when people lose someone special to them, they sometimes think they see that person, even though it's just their imagination. Maybe you're just really bereft, Mr. Vash, and you're seeing things," Milly puts in.  
"Argh! Never mind!" Vash sighs and turns to look out the window again, half-hoping to see this Wolfwood look-alike again.  
The bus departs from the station, and the 45 minute ride to February City is pretty much uneventful. Vash and Knives play Go Fish again, and Vash still wins-50 times in a row. Knives gets pissed, pulls out his gun, and pistol-whips his brother. Before he goes any further, Meryl makes them change seats so that Milly is sitting by a window next to Vash, who is across the aisle from Meryl, who is seated to Knives' right. For the rest of the trip, they sit in silence.  
Upon arrival at February City, there is a mass exodus of businessmen from the bus. Our four "heroes" are left alone on the bus, slowly standing up and gathering there things. Milly turns to look out the window and gasps.  
"Mr. Vash! You're right! There's Mr. Priest right there! I'm sorry I doubted you, but you know how weird it sounded. Now I see the err of my ways. Meryl, get over-" she starts to cal her friend to the window, but she looks back into the crowd and doesn't see the man.  
"He's gone," Vash says.  
"Oh drat! We've got to find him again! Come on, Mr. Vash!" She tries to pull Vash by his sleeve, but Meryl and Knives were faster and they're blocking the aisle.  
"Excuse me, Meryl, Mr. Knives. We have to go! He might be gone!"  
"What? Who might be gone? Milly, what are you talking about? Maybe I shouldn't have left you with Vash."  
"It's Wolfwood! We saw him again!" Vash explains.  
"Come on, not you, too, Milly! This is some kind of sick joke, isn't it? Next Knives will tell me that Elvis has been stalking us!"  
"Never mind!" Milly cries and pushes her way past them, dragging Vash behind her. She emerges from the bus and looks around. Not seeing the man, she pulls Vash into the large crowd that has gathered to either board the bus or get off it.  
After a few minutes of frantic searching and turning people just to find that they're old Japanese women or Vikings, the crowd gradually disperses. The bus drives off, leaving Milly & Vash looking disappointed and Meryl and Knives standing off to the side, looking smug and annoyed.  
"Done searching for ghosts? Really, I think you two have been inhaling too many gas fumes from the bus! Let's go find an inn," Meryl says, picking up her bag. She starts toward the town, and Knives follows suit.  
"Nice one, little bro. Too bad she didn't fall for it," Knives comments to Vash.  
"But I'm telling you, it's not a joke! Wolfwood-or some guy who looks like him-is out there!"  
"Yeah, and we have to find him! I don't know why, we just do," Milly adds.  
"Whatever you say...Just as long as we don't have to go out of our way," Knives cautions.  
"Well it's not like we really have a way, is it? I mean, why are we here in February City anyway?" Milly asks.  
"No reason..." Vash says.  
"Mr. Vash, you're the one who was so enthusiastic to come here. Why did you suggest it?" Milly inquires.  
"Uh, heh heh heh...Nothing! Nothing at all!" Vash puts his arm behind his head and smiles nervously.  
"I don't believe you. You've got some ulterior motive," Knives accuses.  
"You're acting awfully guilty, Mr. Vash. Now why would an innocent person act guilty? Hmm? If there's anything I've learned from my years at Bernardelli, it's that people don't act like they're hiding something unless they're hiding something. So? What gives?" Milly stares him down.  
But Vash holds out, replying, "Nothing! I told you, I just heard so many nice things about February City, so I wanted to come and see for myself. That's all!" And with that, he hurries off to join Meryl, who is just entering the saloon.  
"Now I know something's up! And we need to find out what it is. Do you think it has something to do with Wolfwood?" Milly asks Knives.  
He shrugs and says, "Dunno. Could be."  
"Well, how are we going to get it out of him? Mr. Vash is good at keeping secrets."  
"I think I can make him tell us..." Knives grins evilly.  
Milly looks surprised, then joins him in grinning evilly. She rubs her hands together like a mad scientist.  
"Ve haf vays of making you talk..." Knives mutters with a German accent. The both erupt in evil laughter, but stop abruptly when they enter the saloon.  



	3. Chapter Two

Chapter 2  
Later, in the saloon:  
Milly, Meryl and Vash are sitting at a corner table. For the past hour, they've just been sitting and drinking...and sitting and drinking...  
Knives had gone to flirt with the young, female bartender long ago, leaving Milly alone to figure out Vash's secret.  
"So, Mr. Vash, have you ever been to February City before?" she asks.  
"No, but I heard it's a great vacation spot! That's why I wanted to come! That's the *ahem* ONLY reason I have for coming here." He glares at Milly, who stubbornly glares back.  
"What are you talking about? Where did you get your information? This place is a dump! All it has is a saloon, a general store, and a bunch of houses! The population is about 15, and they all live in trailer parks on the outskirts of town!" Meryl cries.  
"Uh...I guess my sources aren't very reliable..."  
Meryl sweatdrops and orders another round of beers-and a shot of whisky for her.  
"What are we gonna do? There's nothing here to see and not even an inn to stay at!" Milly whines.  
"You're right, Milly, we can't just stay here drinking all day and night!. Let's go back to the bus stop. We can catch the bus to Eve City and-" Meryl starts.  
"No!" Vash interrupts. "No! Let's not go to Eve City! We should just stay here. I mean, don't you think this town is charming?...in an old, run-down, decrepit sorta way...I can still see hints of what it looked like-I mean how it must have looked years ago in the days it was prosperous. Can't you?"  
"Why the hell would you want to stay here? I see no charm, just filth! No wonder nobody on the bus went into town. They all got right on the next bus out of here! Come on, Milly, let's go!" Meryl gets up just as Knives returns. "We're leaving and you're welcome to join us. Your stubborn brother wants to stay!"  
"Awww, you can't leave just yet! I just met a really interesting guy and I want you to meet him!" Knives exclaims. Before Meryl can protest, her pushes her back into her seat and turns to the bar.  
"Hey, Nathan! Come over here!"  
At the bar, a shadowy figure stands up and approaches them. He steps out of the shadows and Milly, Meryl and Vash gasp. This mad is the identical copy of Wolfwood. He has the same haircut, the same face, the same demeanor, the same smile, even the same outfit (minus the crosses). And hanging out of his mouth is a bent cigarette.  
"This is Nathan W. Dogwood." He waves. "I was talking to him a few minutes ago. Actually, he's a really cool guy..." Knives trails off, puzzled at their astonished expressions.  
"Hi everyone. I'm Nate. I live here in town and...What? Why are you all staring at me?!"  
Suddenly they all snap out of it and Milly cries, "Mr. Priest!" Vash shouts, "Nicholas!" and Meryl calls out in confusion, "Mr. Wolfwood?" all in unison.  
Knives and Nate are even more confused now.  
"What? Why did you call me Mr. Priest? As a matter of fact, I'm Jewish! And I didn't hear a word the others said."  
They all repeat what they cried, again simultaneously. Knives and Nate sweatdrop.  
Meryl takes it upon herself to be the group's representative. "Sir, what did you say your name was? Dogwood? Wow, that's a remarkable coincidence! You look just like our old friend, Nicholas Wolfwood."  
At the mention of this name, Nate's face falls. "What do you know of Nicholas Wolfwood?" he asks, narrowing his eyes.  
"Mr. Priest was traveling with us!" Milly explains.  
"He was our friend and he helped us out of some...sticky situations," Vash adds.  
"What's it to you? Do you know him, too?" Meryl inquires.  
Nate's face softens and he says, "Yeah, you could say that. He's my twin brother." He grabs a chair and sits down next to 3 still shocked faces. Knives does likewise.  
"Your brother? What happened? How come he never mentioned you?" asks Vash.  
"He never mentioned me? Well that doesn't surprise me. After everything that happened, I'd guess he pretty much hates me now."  
"After what happened?" Milly asks, curiously.  
"That's a long story..."  
"And we have a long time! So tell us!...If you don't mind," Meryl requests, remembering her manners.  
"I supposed if you're friends of his, you should knows the truth before it's too late. But why don't I tell you on the way to my house? There's no inn here so we'll see if we can make room for you at my place," Nate offers.  
"All right! Let's go!" Knives stands up, ready to go. The other four do the same.  
"If it's not too much trouble, Mr. Dogwood," Milly says politely.  
"Please, call me Nate." He smiles and follows Knives out the door.  



	4. Chapter Three

Chapter 3  
"So shall I start from the beginning?"  
Knives, Nate, Milly, Vash, and Meryl are walking through the empty streets of February City. Nate's house is on the very edge of town.  
"That's a good place," Knives remarks. Meryl snorts, but Nate ignores them.  
"Well, me 'n Nicholas are brothers. We grew up together as twins and best friends. Our life was simple and happy here in February City. Back then, there were more people and the city was a real city. Dad was the local cobbler, and we were doing just fine. Except Dad always had something against Nick. It was probably the religion thing. You know we were brought up Jewish, but Nick converted to Christianity as a child and later became a priest."  
Meryl whispers to Milly, "I knew it! I knew he couldn't be a real Christian priest! His nose gave him away!"  
Nate, who doesn't hear this, continues, "Eventually Nick got fed up with Dad mistreating him and he cracked. He shot our father. Dad died and we got put in a foster home."  
"What about your mom?" Vash asks.  
"Hm? Oh, she died in childbirth. And we had no other family. So they moved us to a nice little farm with an older couple who devoted themselves to us. But It didn't help Nick. He was in too deep. Only a month after we moved in, he ran away. I saw him once more, about a year ago. He changed his name and started a new life with the church and Chapel the Evergreen. But I don't really know if people can change. So I forgot all about him and moved on with my life."  
At this time, they stop in front of a house. It's quite out of place among the dilapidated, decaying shacks indigenous to February City. The house is fairly large with a nice garden out front. It's blue with a white door, white shudders, and a white picket fence. The lawn is well-manicured and also strewn with toys and a jungle gym. The whole picture looks like it was taken out of a '50's family sitcom.  
"This is mine," Nate says to them. "Let's go in and get something to eat. You can meet my family and I'll answer your questions. Hopefully you can answer mine, too." He leads the group up the front path. Noticing the toys, he comments, "Looks like the kids had friends over and didn't clean up."  
Meryl and Milly look at each other and silently ask, 'Kids?!'  
They approach the door and, just as Nate is reaching for the knob, it opens, revealing a woman.  
This woman is tall and slightly dark. Her straight brown hair falls down a few inches past her shoulders, and it's pulled back in a half-pony. She's dressed in all green-a sleeveless forest green dress that extends to her knees, a green barrette holding back her hair, and flat-heeled matching shoes. With one arm, she holds a crying baby, another tugs at her sleeve, trying to get her attention, and the other arm is stirring a bowl containing batter of some kind.  
The woman answers the door looking exasperated and stressed out, but when she sees Nate, her face lights up and all strife leaves her mind.  
"Oh, honey, you're home! I wasn't expecting you for another few hours. See, I was making a cake for your return," she says.  
"Daddy!" The little girl in the doorway runs into her father's arms to hug him. Nate scoops her up and affectionately gives her a big bear hug.  
"There's Daddy's little girl! And Daddy's little boy, too," Nate cooes to the screaming child, who immediately ceases his crying to make happy gurgling noises.  
"What a moody child..." Knives whispers to Vash.  
"And there's Daddy's big girl!" Nate turns to the woman and gives her a kiss and a hug.  
Meryl and Milly go "Awwwww!" like typical hopeless romantics (ano, mostly Milly). Knives gags and Vash just kinda stands there, looking a little dreamy.  
"So who are your friends, Nate?" The woman nods her head (her arms are a little busy) at the strangers.  
"Oh yes, I should introduce you. This is my lovely wife, Emerald. Emmy-chan, this is Vash, Knives, Meryl, and Milly. I just met them on my way home." (See, he knows not to tell his wife he picked them up in a bar!) Then, turning serious, he adds, "They know Nicholas."  
Emerald turns serious, too. "Oh...Come on in, sit down. I'll bring you something to drink." She ushers the four guests into a very nice living room, then pushes the kids out of sight into the kitchen.  
Minutes later, they are all seated. Emerald returns, sans children, with a tray on which there are six tall glasses of lemonade. Handing one to each person, she comments, "Made fresh this morning!" She sits and looks at her husband.  
"Ahem, well I pretty much finished my story. Do you guys have any questions?" Nate addresses the four visitors sitting on the couch across from him.  
Meryl and Milly look at each other and at Vash and Knives. They all shake their heads and come to the consensus that everyone understands everything. (What about the quadratic equation?)  
"I think we all got your story. Why don't we change the subject to something less depressing. Tell us about yourself, Nate," Vash suggests.  
"I suppose. You've already met my wife, Emerald Star Dogwood. And my kids, Lila is 5, and Thomas just had his first birthday."  
"Hm, I wouldn't have expected you to be a husband and father. It's so un-Wolfwood-like," Meryl observes.  
"You forget, I'm not Wolfwood-just his twin."  
"They're adorable kids!" Milly exclaims, getting back to the topic at hand.  
"Yeah, and they sure do love their father," Emerald declares. "You should see it when he has to leave on a business trip! Which is too often, of course." She gives him a meaningful look.  
Nate smiles sheepishly and puts his arm behind his head. "Business trips are part of my job. I'm a journalist. I write articles for the Rhododendron City Star. So I have to travel all over for my scoops. We live here because it's so peaceful and quiet. Coming home from a busy city to this serene neighborhood is the best part of my job."  
"And we live close enough to Rhododendron City for Nate to commute and to get groceries and such," Emerald says. "Plus, when the kids are old enough, there's a great private school a few miles from here, between February City and Rhododendron City."  
"Wow, sounds like you've got it made," Knives tells them.  
At that moment, Lila enters the room and shyly approaches the couch. She stands near Meryl and Milly.  
"Well hi there! What's your name?" Milly asks.  
"Lila..." the girl giggles.  
"You are so precious!" Meryl tickles her belly.  
"Can you come out and play with me? Please?" Lila looks from the insurance girls to her parents. Meryl looks at Nate and Emerald, too. They nod approvingly. Lila cheers and drags Meryl and Milly outside by their thumbs.  
The remaining four laugh in an awww-isn't-that-cute way.  
"So what's my brother been up to lately? I mean, I did kinda disown him, but that doesn't necessarily mean I don't care anymore. After all, he is my brother! What's the old bastard been doing all these years? Still killing people?" Nate laughs, joking and totally oblivious of the truth.  
"Uh...heh heh..." Vash also laughs, nervously, and debates with himself inwardly. *He doesn't know? How should I tell him? Should I tell him at all...He seems so blissfully happy. Ignorance is bliss. Do I really have the right to break his utopia? No, but I still have to say something! He's his brother for goodness' sake! Guess I should just do it. Break it gently...*  
Before Vash can open his mouth to speak, the ever-sensitive Knives blurts out, "Oh, isn't that dude dead?"  
Vash facefaults and both Nate's and Emerald's jaws drop.  
"Knives!" Vash picks himself up and yells at his brother. "Way to break it gently!"  
"He's...dead?" Nate whispers in disbelief.  
"Uh, yeah. I'm so sorry. I apologize for my brother, too. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, especially if it's something like this, but yes. He died about a month ago."  
Knives looks amused, after all he's still got a mean streak.  
They sit in silence for a minute. Then Nate breaks it by asking, "Could you tell me how it happened?"  
Vash settles back on the couch and starts telling his new friends the whole story of their association with Wolfwood-omitting the necessary parts, like Vash's and Knives' true identities.  
Through the whole tale, Nate just sits, absorbing this information and looking troubled. Emerald puts her arm around him and tries to comfort her husband.  
"Guess I should have known. He was always mixed up in such dangerous stuff..." Nate finally whispers.  
"Are you going to be all right?" Vash asks, concerned.  
"Yes, I think so. It's not like he was particularly close to me. But still..."  
"But still, he was your brother," Knives finishes for him. He glances at his own twin and tries to imagine a life without him. Cringing, he thinks, *But I almost had that life. I almost killed him...*  
"Well, let's find the girls and I'll show you where you're going to sleep tonight." Emerald breaks the awkward silence, much to everyone's relief. She stands up, followed by Knives and Vash. "We'll be having dinner in about a half hour. Are meat loaf and mashed potatoes all right with you guys?"  
They nod and tell Emerald how much they love meat loaf and how they're sure hers will be the best. The three walk off, chattering about meals and sleeping arrangements.  
"Dead?" Nate mumbles to himself, left all alone in the family room to recover from the news.  
"Nicholas Damien Wolfwood dead? How is that possible? He was always so careful and such a skilled gunman, too. No, he can't be gone. I don't believe it. Nick's not dead, he's trying to trick us. Maybe he hired those guys to come and convince me of the fact. He just doesn't want me to worry anymore. Yeah, that's it. Nick is just being considerate of my feelings...in a strange way. Well, he's out there somewhere, and I've got to find him!"  
Nate stands up, punches his fist into the palm of his other hand, and puts on a determined face.  
"But first, meat loaf!" His face returns to his usual somber look and he goes to check on dinner.  



	5. Chapter Four

Chapter 4  
Vash awakens to a bright light in his face. He squints and groans and rubs his eyes, trying to remember where he is. Finally, his eyes adjust and he sees that the source of light is the newly-risen sun streaming in through the window and his location is next to Knives, on the pull-out couch in the Dogwood's family room. His memory comes rushing back.  
*Wow, morning already! We should get going soon. Wonder if the girls are up yet. Wonder if Emerald has any donuts for breakfast...*  
Vash sits up and hears music from the kitchen. He climbs out of bed and walks toward the room, yawning widely.  
As he approaches the doorway, he finds Emerald in the kitchen, humming to herself as she cooks breakfast. She sees her guest and beckons for him to come in.  
"Good morning Vash! Did you sleep well?"  
"Good morning, Emerald. Yes, I slept like a baby! What time is it?"  
"Almost six-thirty. Are you sure you have to leave so soon? You're welcome here as long as you want-or as long as your manners permit." She smiles at him.  
"That's very nice of you, but my manners are already getting the better of me. Coming to someone's house, telling them their brother is dead, and leeching off them for a while doesn't feel right to me. I'm afraid, we really do need to go." Vash sits down at the table.  
"Aw, that's such a shame! Where are you going?"  
"Actually, I have no idea. I just know that I have to keep moving. After all, I am Vash the Stampede. I have so many towns to destroy and so little time to do it in!" They both laugh, Vash thinking about how much time he actually has-unlimited.  
"Well, I made you a big breakfast for your big day! Why don't you go wake the others and by that time I'll be done with the food," Emerald suggests.  
Vash goes off to get Knives, who is still fast asleep and snoring loudly, and the insurance girls, who are already awake, dressed, packed, and ready to go.  
Emerald is piling plates of waffles, pancakes, toast, and-to Vash's delight-homemade doughnuts on the table. She's also set out a variety of fruits and juices.  
Everyone's eyes bug out when they see the feast.  
"Wow, Miss Emerald, you went all-out!" Milly exclaims.  
"Yeah, you really didn't have to do all this for us," Meryl says, eyeing the pancakes.  
"Can you pass the maple syrup?" Knives asks. He's already sat down, piled a plate high with some of everything, and crammed most of it into his mouth.  
Emerald giggles, and says, "Oh, that's okay. I really don't mind. I just hope you enjoy it! Dig in! I've got to get the kids." She smiles and heads down the hall to the children's rooms.  
Vash, Meryl, and Milly sit down and start eating.  
Between exclamations on Emerald's culinary prowess, mouthfuls of food, and burps, Meryl asks, "Where's Nate?"  
Vash puts down his glass of orange juice and replies, "Dunno. Still sleeping? He had a rough day yesterday."  
"Yes, he's probably still worn out. We should let him get his beauty sleep," Milly proclaims.  
"Oh well, more of this scrumptious toast for me!" Knives laughs evilly.  
Everyone else pauses to stare at him.  
"Did you just say 'scrumptious' then laugh like a maniac?" Meryl questions.  
Knives looks blank for a second. "Yeah...So?"  
Meryl sweatdrops and says, "I swear, you get more and more like your brother every day!"  
Emerald returns to the kitchen with two very sleepy kids. She places the little boy in a high chair and the little girl sits down between Meryl and Milly, her two new best friends.  
"So how's the grub?" Emerald asks.  
They all talk at once and no one can be understood. Emerald laughs and says, "I guess you like it!"  
She pulls up a chair and starts eating, too, and feeding the infant.  
After a few minutes of silence, Nate appears in the doorway, fully dressed and holding a packed travel bag. Five questioning faces look up at him.  
He starts speaking nervously, suddenly aware of the fact that he has no idea how to say this. "Uh, good morning, everyone. You're probably wondering why I'm all packed up...Well I've decided to go with you..." Nate proceeds to explain his reasoning (his theory from the previous night and the hope that traveling with them might lead him to his brother) to five now shocked faces.  
When he finishes, Emerald looks at him pleadingly and says, "But Nate-kun! You can't leave us! Nicholas is dead. You've got to deal with it. Stay here with us and we can help you."  
"No, I can't. My conscience won't be clear until I find him." He gets quieter. "My conscience nags me because the last time we were together, we got in a fight. Sparks flew, fists flew, and we parted on really bad terms. So I've got to find him and make things right."  
Meryl sighs and tries to make her voice gentle. "Nate, you've got family here to take care of. And Wolfwood...Well, he's dead. You won't find him."  
"I don't believe you!"  
"I saw him with my own eyes. We found him in a church, dead as a doornail. We even buried him and witnessed the dirt being replaced ourselves," she argues.  
"I still don't believe you!"  
Meryl grunts. "Argh! Why are you being so stubborn! How many times do I have to tell you-"  
Knives interrupts her with his typical inconsiderate blurting. "Look, the dude is dead. He's gone and you'll never see him again. Get it through your head! D-E-A-D DEAD!"  
There is silence for a moment. Nate's face twists in thought, and he finally says, "I don't believe you." He folds his arms across his chest and tries to look formidable.  
"Grrr! You're hopeless!" Knives growls.  
Vash sighs now and tells Nate, "Fine. Come with us. You'll see he's really gone. Then will you be satisfied and come back to stay with your family?"  
"If, in fact, you can prove to me that he is actually dead, I will return to February City."  
"OK then, let's get packed!" Meryl cries, jumping up.  
Milly also stands up and says to Nate, "Oh we're going to have such a good time traveling together, Mr. Nate! We're really a fun bunch! Maybe you can beat Mr. Vash at Go Fish. He's undefeated!" She smiles and follows Meryl to their room to retrieve her luggage as Nate sweatdrops.  



	6. Chapter Five

Chapter 5  
An hour later, Vash, Milly, Meryl, Knives, and Nate are squashed into a rented car, along with all their luggage. They had, about 35 minutes ago, said a tearful goodbye to Emerald and the kids, who made Vash promise to bring back Nate in one piece.  
Now, Knives drives the vehicle along a faint path in the desert. Every once in a while, Vash leans forward from the back seat to tell him to turn left or right, but he never says where they're going, which pisses Knives off to no end.  
"Vash, where the hell are we headed?"  
"You'll see," is all he replies.  
"How long will it take to get there?"  
"Just another day or so."  
"What are we going to do when we arrive?"  
"Sore wa himitsu desu!" Vash replies, winking and wagging his finger at Knives. The others sweatdrop. "Oops, sorry. Wrong anime!"  
Silence as Knives is too frustrated to ask any more questions and get more cryptic answers.  
After a while, Vash pulls a deck of cards from his pocket and turns to Nate with an innocent smile.  
"Wanna play Go Fish?"  
Nate narrows his eyes and says, "I accept."  
Vash narrows his eyes, too, and deals. They both hunch over their cards protectively and alternately glance at their hands and glare at each other.  
"Got any 8's?"  
Meryl, next to them, sweatdrops.  
  
A/N: Sorry that chapter was so short. I divided it all after it I finished the writing, and it just worked out that way. More later, whenever Maddy-chan gets back to me. (hint, hint, nudge, nudge, Maddy-CHAN!)  



	7. Chapter Six

Chapter 6  
"Any 3's?"  
Nate growls and hands over a card.  
"I win! Again!" Vash declares.  
The sun is going down. Milly and Knives have switched places, so the Milly drives and Knives is napping in the front seat. Vash and Nate have played about a hundred rounds of Go Fish-and Vash is still undefeated.  
"How do you do that? You've got to cheat to win that many times in a row!" Nate cries, waking Knives.  
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Vash smiles.  
"Well there's no way you can just win a hundred games in a row by luck!"  
"What can I say? I have a gift."  
"Are you two hens finished bickering? You woke me up!" Knives complains.  
"Vash just beat me at Go Fish for the hundredth time," Nate explains.  
Knives shrugs. "Big surprise. He has a gift."  
Vash beams and Nate sweatdrops.  
"Mr. Vash?" Milly asks. "Should I go right or left?"  
Vash looks up and sees that they're paused at a fork in the road. The sign pointing to the right says "October City 50 iles" The sign pointing to the left says Tonim City 10 iles.  
"Go left. Huh, I had no idea Tonim City was so close. Guess we'll be there earlier than expected."  
"So does that mean we're going to Tonim City?" Knives asks.  
"Isn't that where Mr. Wolfwood...Oh! I get it!" Milly exclaims and   
Meryl figures it out, too. But Knives and Nate are still in the dark.  
"What? Why are we here?"  
"Is this where you're meeting Nicholas?"  
Vash sighs and explains. "This is where Wolfwood was shot. We buried him here, too, because we didn't know any place better. I took us this way so we could prove to Nate that Wolfwood is dead and buried."  
"Yes, that's a good idea! You can see his grave and everything!" Meryl adds.  
"And talk to the sheriff who found him," Milly pipes up.  
Nate just sits, looking uncertain, in the back seat.  
"Yeah, yeah. Wake me up when we get to an inn," Knives grumbles and puts his head back on his hand.  



	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter 7  
Nate shivers and huddles up in his sleep. One eye opens, signifying that he's awake.  
*It's suddenly gotten very cold...* he thinks as his other eye opens.  
Looking around, Nate sees the same inn room he fell asleep in earlier. Vash is spread out on the bed to his right, shirtless. Nate cringes at the sight of his friend's massive scars. He looks to his left, at Knives sleeping soundly and snoring loudly. He throws a pillow at him, to get him to turn over and stop snoring.  
Nate pulls up a blanker and settles down to go back to sleep.  
"Nathan..."  
  
Just as Nate is finally about to fall asleep, he hears a voice calling his name. At first, he dismisses it as a figment of his imagination and goes back to his dreams of his beloved Emmy-chan. But then the voice calls again.  
"Nathaaaaaan..."  
So Nate opens one eye again, then the other. He sees Vash and Knives both fast asleep. He sits up and sees nothing out of the ordinary. Hesitantly, he lies back down.  
"Nathan!"  
This time he sits bolt upright and looks around, panicking.  
"What! Who's there?" he whispers.  
"Naaaaathaaaaaaan..."  
Nate gulps and gropes around in the dark for a weapons. He ends up with a baseball bat from...OK, don't ask where it's from; it's just there.  
"Who's there?" he says, louder now that he's more confident with his random bat.  
"Nate! It's me, Nick!"  
Suddenly, a glowing image of Nate's brother, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, appears at the foot of his bed.  
"What! Nick? Nicholas, is that you?"  
"Yes, Nate, it's me, Nick."  
"Ha! I knew it! You're still alive," he says, putting down his bat, which promptly disappears into the oblivion from whence it came. "These guys tried to tell me you were dead, but I didn't believe 'em! And now you're here, so I can tell them I found out! Hey, Knives, Vash, wake up! The jig's up! Nicholas is here. I knew you were lying." Nate gets up and tries to wake his friends. He shakes their shoulders, but they remain sleeping peacefully. "Guys? Knives? Vash? What's wrong?"  
"Nathan, they won't wake up until after I leave," Nick explains.  
"Huh? Why? Did you slip them something during dinner? *sigh* You never change, do you, Nick?"  
"No, Nate, listen to me. I'm dead," Wolfwood states. Nate just looks at him like he's crazy.  
"No you're not! You're right here."  
"Nathan, I'm dead. And I came back to tell you. Go back to your family, where you're needed. You shouldn't be wasting your time looking for me because you won't ever find me again. And just so you can clear your conscious, I forgive you. I've forgotten all about the pulled groin, humiliation, and the 50,000 double dollars.: He smiles and winks as Nate grins sheepishly at the memory.  
"So...You're really gone? They were telling the truth?"  
"Every word. These guys don't often lie. Even Knives."  
"Wow. All I can say is wow..."  
"Looks like my job here is done. I've got to get going," Wolfwood says.  
"Wait, I have so many questions! What's the after-life like? Is there really a god? What's the meaning of-"  
"Nate," Nick mutters, rolling his eyes. "Goodbye."  
"No, don't go! Please stay!"  
But it's too late. Wolfwood's ghost disappears and Nate finds himself alone again, with the exceptions of his sleeping comrades.  
"Come back...I miss you..." he whispers. Nothing happens, so he reluctantly returns his head to his pillow to ruminate over the recent turn events.  



	9. Chapter Eight--The last one!

Chapter 8  
"So this is where he's buried..."  
"Yep..."  
Nate, Knives, Vash, Milly, and Meryl are in a cemetery. Nate bends over on grave with a flower in his hand. The other four stand back slightly, giving him some room at his brother's burial site.  
"It's a nice headstone," Nate says of the plain granite block with Wolfwood's name.  
"We didn't have much money to spend on a funeral and grave. And we didn't know his date of birth, so all it says is his name and when he died," Meryl explains quietly.  
"It's nice," Nate repeats. He slowly reaches out and places the red flower on top of the stone.  
"Do you believe us now?" Knives inquires.  
"Yes, I believe you."  
"And are you satisfied? Will you go home now?" Vash asks.  
"Yes, I'm going home now."  
"Good. We already bought you a bus ticket back to February City!" Milly chirps. "You leave in 20 minutes."  
Nate stands up. "Then I guess this is goodbye. Will I ever see you again?"  
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe," Vash says mysteriously.  
"One never knows, Mr. Dogwood," Milly adds, smiling.  
Nate smiles, too, and picks up his bag. He hugs each othe them, except Knives, whose hand he shakes.  
"Well then, I'll be off now."  
"Bye Nate!"  
"Goodbye Nate!"  
"See ya later, Nate!"  
"Bye bye, Mr. Dogwood!"  
"Goodbye and thank you all!"  
Nate walks away, waving.  
"I think it's time for us to be moving on, too," Meryl states.  
They all pile into the same car, with Knives driving agin.  
From the back seat, Meryl asks, "Where are we going now?"  
"Yes, what's our next destination, Mr. Vash?" Milly echoes.  
"Well, I heard Citrus City was a good resort town..."  
"Not again! No more alleged resort towns"  
"Say, we never found out why you wanted to go to February City so badly, Mr. Vash," Milly remembers.  
"Oh yeah! So what was your ulterior motive?" Meryl questions.  
Vash turns red, sinks down into his seat and mumbles something incoherent.  
"What was that? Speak up, dear brother!" Knives commands with an evil grin.  
Vash mumbles again, a little louder, but still incomprehensibly.  
"Come on! Spill now! You have to tell us," Meryl cries, waving her fist at Vash.  
"OK OK! Just don't hit me!" Vash holds up his hand in a gesture of surrender.  
Meryl lowers her arms and she and Milly stare at him expectantly.  
"We-ell...See, I didn't know February City had been practically abandoned, and I wanted to..."  
"Yes?"  
"Umm, I wanted to..."  
"YES?!"  
"I wanted to visit Mom's Homemade Doughnut factory!"  
Everybody sweatdrops as our heroes drive of into the sunset.  
OWARI  
  
Thank you! Thank you! I bet you all loved it! ^_^ Now please review so I know you loved it! Or, if you hated, kudasai flame me!!! Flame me, baby! Any kind of reply at all would be greatly appreciated.  



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